[India] Gender bender: Bhavna becomes Bharat after 18 yrsBhavna Dhuda of Magharvada village of Junagadh district stopped wearing skirts, bangles even going to the girl's high school in her native Keshod town on turning 18. She told her mother that she was sprouting a moustache and felt like a boy. A chromosome test confirmed it. For the last five months, Bhavna is called Bharat and now enjoys company of boys in the village.

[India] Transgenders to celebrate in Kolkata SaturdayThe city hub Metro channel, accustomed to seeing protests and rallies by political parties and other organisations, will see a huge gathering of the third sex Saturday celebrating the annual transgender day.

[India] [Film] Now a movies on transgender community!Queens! Destiny of Dance is one of the upcoming movies based on the transgender community of India. The movie has got curious viewers intrigued who have lined up to see what the movie's going to be like.

[India] [Film] ‘Narthagi’ – Fighting to be heardOf late the graph of Tamil cinema has taken a new dimension. More films are released which makes the audience sit up and think about various happenings around them. These days, audiences are opening up to accept newer themes belonging to varied genres. There is one more film going to be released shortly, which will be a forerunner for similar films to be released in future. For the first time ever, a film based on the life of a transgender will be released in Tamil.

[Canada] Man gets life for sex slaying of male nurseA Vancouver Island man has been given a life sentence for the brutal sex slaying of a male nurse.Kim Winslow Rothgordt was found guilty of second-degree murder for hitting James Shannon, 52, at least 10 times with a hammer before jamming a candle into his right eye, piercing his brain, after the pair had consensual sex in February 2008.

[USA] Anti-Equality Legislation Moving in the StatesWith many state legislatures facing adjournment dates in the next few weeks, anti-equality lawmakers around the country are ramping up attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Harmful legislation has already passed in a few states and is advancing in others.

[USA] [Commentary] With Respect, Please Stop Misrepresenting MeWhile I appreciate all of the support, I am setting the recordnstraight: I am a heterosexual woman, who happened to have born intersex, and yes, I did have a transsexual medical condition, yet that has been treated and corrected. I urgently ask the gay and transgender communities to stop inaccurately identifying me as “transgender” because this falsehood is continuing to make my battle even more difficult.

[USA] States Advance Protections Against Gender Identity DiscriminationAs the Nevada legislative session draws to a close, two bills protecting transgender individuals passed the Senate and now head to a favorable vote in the Assembly. Senate Bills 368 and 331 passed 13-8 and 11-10 respectively, both outlawing transgender discrimination in housing and public accommodations. A third bill, Senate Bill 180, failed 10-11, and would have designated violence based on gender identify or expression a hate crime.

[IL, USA] Transgender and homeless Chicagoans get IDs at CenterDozens of transgender and homeless Chicagoans obtained state IDs and other documentation at the Center on Halsted April 22. The secretary of state set up shop at the Center and issued free state IDs to homeless people and also helped transgender people update their IDs to reflect new names and gender presentations.

[NY, USA] [Film] Film 'Renee' Explores Controversial Life of Transsexual Tennis StarIn 1976, Renée Richards walked onto the court of the La Jolla tennis championship as an unknown housewife from Southern California. Her 6-foot-2-inch frame was clad in a super-short white tennis skirt, her size-12 feet stuffed into feminine white sneakers. For Richards, who was actually a highly successful ophthalmologist and formerly a man named Richard Raskind, the unknown-housewife ruse fell apart as quickly as her opponents’ game. Richards swept the tournament, and woke up the next morning as the most famous transsexual athlete in history.

[OK, USA] Professor Terminated for Being TransgenderA transgender professor was denied tenure and fired from Southeastern Oklahoma State University for her gender identity. Rachel Tudor, who is transgender, was told by the school's human resources department that she could only use the single-use handicapped restroom after she underwent gender reassignment surgery.[Petition] Reinstate Dr. Rachel Tudor

quinta-feira, abril 28, 2011

[UK]Famed former first couple standing again in electionsA couple who made history as the first transgender mayor and mayoress of Cambridge are bidding to return to the political frontline.Jenny Bailey was first citizen between 2007 and 2008 but stood down when she passed on the ceremonial post in search of a quieter life.She hit the headlines with her partner Jennifer Liddle when it emerged both were born boys but had gone through gender reassignment later in life.(Photo: Jennifer Liddle, left and Jenny Bailey)

[France/UK]British ex-pat becomes 'France's oldest transsexual' aged 60A British ex-pat and former builder who used to be called a 'man mountain' by friends has become France's oldest sex-change resident, at the age of 60.Colin Oliver was a married father-of-five with six grandchildren, but has since become Chloe after decades of wishing to be female.The transition is the result of hormone treatment over the past five years in France, where she moved to in order to start a new life. (Photo)

[India] [Film]'The film does not make fun of the trans-gender'Akhil Bhartiya Jankalyan Trust which works for the rights of trans-genders has sent a letter to the producer of Queens-Destiny of Dance, Madanlal Paliwal threatening him to 'cut out the scenes that might hurt the sentiments of the kinnar samaj or strict action shall be taken against the film and the Censor Board will be asked to even shun the film's release.'

[FL, USA] Student in High Heels Booted from ClassA male student at a Florida high school was removed from class when the response to his wearing high heels sparked "safety" concerns from the principal.

[NV, USA] Senate passes two sex discrimination bills, nixes a thirdThe Nevada Senate Monday approved two bills designed to stop discrimination against gays and transgender individuals.But the third piece in the package was defeated when Democrat John Lee of North Las Vegas joined Republicans in opposing SB180, which would have added crimes against gays and transsexuals to Nevada's list of hate crimes.

[OR, USA] Portland Response to Chrissy Polis Attack Sparks DebateEarlier today, we blogged about the attack on transwoman Chrissy Polis at a Maryland McDonald’s and the response by some members of Portland’s queer community. The initial plan, according to a Facebook event that has shifted over the course of the day, was to hold a demonstration at the West Burnside McDonald’s in which participants were encouraged to dress in their “best and most colorful ensemble.” But the demonstration organized by local performers Chi Chi and Chonga in collaboation with Genderfucking Takeover — a group that formed in the wake of last year’s Memorial Day Weekend assaults on a group of men in drag — quickly attracted criticism.

[MD/TX, USA]Transgender rights in the spotlight in Maryland and TexasIn February, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) released the first study of its kind on discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming people.The report painted a scary picture. 41 percent of respondents said they had attempted suicide, which is 26 times the national average. More than 90 percent said they faced some kind of discrimination. In places of public accommodation, over half of respondents reported being verbally harassed, and eight percent said they had been physically attacked or assaulted.

[TN, USA] TN House votes to reverse MetroThe state House of Representatives approved a bill that would reverse Metro's new ordinance banning discrimination by city contractors against gay, lesbian and transgendered people.

terça-feira, abril 26, 2011

[Ireland] Ireland welcomes Equality Tribunal Decision on Transgender CaseTransgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) welcomes the Equality Tribunal’s decision in the Louise Hannon case to extend protections to transgender people.TENI Chairperson, Martine Cuypers said: “This is a significant step for transgender equality in Ireland. An important precedent has been set in recognising the inclusion of transgender people under the gender ground of equality legislation.

[India]Police say this woman is nowhere to be foundLaxmi Tripathi, celebrity transgender activist, has been busy promoting her film Queen's Dance of Destiny and was at Vikhroli on Sunday evening to celebrate Easter along with her family. In fact she even spoke to Mumbai Mirror regarding this report.However, the Shivaji Nagar police, on her trail for an assault case hasn't been able to nab her. Laxmi was accused by a eunuch last month of assaulting her with a blade and has been, according to cops, absconding ever since.

[India] [Film] No Country for.......QueensA Bollywood film titled Queens! Destiny of Dance on transgenders turns the old caricature on its head

[ID, USA] Hear Me! My Name is CatherineA small and fragile transgender woman sits behind bars in solitary in a men’s section of an Idaho county jail for crimes sparked by years of mental and emotional torture brought on my a malicious parent, cruel state actions, and a savage legal system that refuses to recognize the most personal part of an individual’s identity, gender.

[TX, USA] [Commentary] Nikki Araguz, on trial for being born intersexIN Texas, Nikki Araguz, an intersex woman, born in California, owning a California-issued birth certificate stating she is female, married in Texas to a fireman tragically killed in the line of duty, is fighting to be recognized as the legitimate wife of her husband and to receive benefits as his widow.

[Turkey]Police terror against trans in turkeyIn the video, you can see that transwomen are arbitrarily arrested and fined based on the law on misdemeanors or the traffic law, arguing that they disturb the public order, they wear women's clothes [as they are perceived of being "men" !!], etc.(In turkish, not translated)

[India]Eunuchs strip to extort, shopkeeper files plaintA shopkeeper on the busy Gandhi road had a tough time warding off a bunch of stubborn eunuchs who demanded a huge sum from him for his renovated store on Saturday. The shopkeeper gave in only after the eunuchs stripped and refused to budge from his store.

[Australia]Govt gender muddle blurring my identityGovernment agencies cannot agree on whether Canberran Peter Hyndal is a man or a woman.The 38-year-old is trapped in what he describes as ''no-man's land'' his birth certificate reads female and his passport says male.The Australian Tax Office says he's a man but the Family Assistance Office says he's a woman.Mr Hyndal spent the first 25 years of his life living as a woman but now identifies as being a man. (Photo)[Commentary] Govt fix needed on transgender 'no man's land'

[Canada] [Letters to the Editor]Transgendered teacher's dismissal sheer discriminationRe: "Transgendered teacher rejects settlement offer in firing case," The Journal, April 11.Recently, a local radio station held a survey on whether or not people would like to have their child taught by a transgendered teacher.The survey did not have a preamble explaining that transgendered persons are born with a gender identity that is opposite to their physical body. For example, if a transgendered person was born with a male body, their gender identity would be female. Conversely, if a transgendered person was born with a female body, their gender identity would be male.

[Canada/UK] [Books]Annabel, By Kathleen WinterA debut novelist takes on the difficult subject of hermaphroditism in a lyrical story set among hardy people in a 1960s Canadian settlement

[USA] [Commentary]HB235 Death Comes With Lessons Learned“Today is not a day to celebrate,” cried voices from Equality Maryland as HB235, the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination bill, was sent back to committee on the final day of the legislative session, thus killing the bill. Still, transgender folk who had opposed the bill because it had lacked protections in public accommodations were toasting their new won power. The ignominious death of HB235 represented for them the end to domination by the lesbian and gay political machine run by Equality Maryland out of their Sharp Street bunker.

[TX, USA]F.E. (SandraDunn) Dunaway: Change requires 'careful approach'F.E. (SandraDunn) Dunaway worried her campaign for mayor of Amarillo would become a media circus.When the transgender woman announced in February her plans to run in the May 14 city election the news ricocheted through the Internet, picked up by mainstream media, bloggers and rights organizations alike.(Photo: Mayoral candidate F.E. (SandraDunn) Dunaway stops for a break while garage sale shopping.)

[India] [Film] Breaking all gender barriersThe objective of the makers is to give viewers an insight into the lives of the transgenders so that people develop a better understanding and attitude towards them.

[India] Towards life and libertyIt would take remarkable courage to stand up, be counted, and speak up for a cause shunned by the majority; especially so, when you had the option of staying safely hidden among the multitudes. Kalki is this rare person who has decided to face the world, rather than hide away. She chose to become an activist, rather than a victim.

[Malaysia] [Film] Malaysia’s First Feature Film with Lead Gay CharactersIn Malaysia consensual gay sex is illegal, a remnant of British colonial. Depictions of LGBT people are considered taboo and information disseminated by gay people is considered an insult to Islam.However, last month ...Dalam Botol based on a novel by Raja Azmi Raja Sulaiman appeared in 52 cinemas in Malaysia. The film, according to Sulaiman, is a love story, based on a friend. Therefore she feels nothing wrong with the movie’s themes. The title means ...In a Bottle, originally it was titled Anu Dalam Botol - but "anu" the word for penis - was removed by censors, as was a nude scene.

[Thailand] Transvestites sentencedTwo male crossdressers were yesterday handed lengthy prison sentences for attempting to rob and kill the grandmother of a popular singer during a breakin last June.

[USA] Video Highlights Trans DiscriminationA new Web video from In the Life Media explores the pervasive injustices documented in a groundbreaking report about transgender discrimination earlier this year.~

[USA] [Commentary] Candy Darling Documentary“Beautiful Darling,” James Rasin’s touching documentary biography of Candy Darling, the transsexual Andy Warhol “superstar,” is a sad, lyrical reflection on the foolish worship of movie stars. Jeremiah Newton, who is a producer of the film and narrates the story, was Candy Darling’s closest friend and onetime roommate who appointed himself guardian of her legacy after her death in 1974 from cancer at 29. The movie shows him arranging her burial beside Mr. Newton’s mother in Cherry Valley, N.Y.

[CT, USA] [Commentary] Transgender Bill Invades Women's Privacy In BathroomThe "Transgender Bill" passed by the Judiciary Committee on April 5 is headed for a vote in the House of Representatives. The "Bathroom Bill," as the Family lnstitute of Connecticut calls it, would extend our sexual discrimination laws to people who disagree with the gender they had at birth and would allow them access to places where they would make other people uncomfortable or worse.

[NY, USA] [Film] Renee Richards: Transsexual Tennis Player's Sex LifeRenee -- the fascinating documentary by Eric Drath which is playing the Tribeca Film Festival -- recounts the story of Richard Raskin, who in his 40s, had sexual reassignment surgery and emerged as the world's most controversial tennis star, Renee Richards.

sábado, abril 23, 2011

[Ireland]Irish Trans Woman Wins PayoutA transgender woman from Dublin, who was ordered by her employer to dress as a man for client meetings, has been awarded over €35,000 by Ireland’s Equality Tribunal.

[Czech Republic] [Commentary] Five thousand yearsIn a suburb of what is now Prague, some five thousand years ago, a body was buried. Funeral rites were a very big deal at the time, with a great deal of symbolism attached to exactly how a body was positioned for burial, and what items would be interred with them.

[Nepal/UK]Nepal's transgenders offer blessings to William and KateNepal's transgender community has sent blessings to Prince William and Kate Middleton ahead of their wedding and offered to send someone to the ceremony.Transgender people in Nepal, mostly men living as women who are known as "hijras" or eunuchs, are considered auspicious at weddings in South Asia, where they are often paid to sing, dance and give blessings to the couple.

[Malaysia] [Film]Malaysia’s first gay film is unexpected hitThe first gay movie to be made and shown in Malaysia has proved an unexpected box office success in the conservative Muslim country.Directed by Khir Rahman, Dalam Botol (In a Bottle) is about a post-op transsexual who comes to realize that she may have been better off as a man. It has already earned more than 1million ringgit ($330,000) at Malaysian cinemas, reports the London Guardian, easily recouping its production and marketing costs of 970,000 ringgit.

[CA, USA]Support for trans assault victimNearly 300 transgender people and allies attended an April 15 rally at 16th and Mission streets to support Mia Tu Mutch, left, a victim of recent street violence. Tu Mutch, 20, as she is known, was physically assaulted near the 16th Street BART station on April 1; she also said that she was sexually assaulted.

[HI, USA] Dengue Fever and Transgender BillsExcerpt: Civil unions grabbed all the headlines, but another, no less controversial bill related to the LGBT community is still moving through the legislature. HB546, which would make it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of "gender identity or expression," has cleared both the House and Senate and is awaiting Gov. Abercrombie's signature.Landmark Gay Rights Bills From Hawaii Legislature

[NY, USA] Sign Up for Equality & Justice Day In Albany - Monday, May 9thLet's seize the moment. Our cases have captured the attention of the public and elected officials. In Montana, state legislators backed away from legislation to strip lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents of civil rights protections after we intervened. In New Jersey, the state's largest newspaper editorialized, “Protect Transgender Job Rights,” in response to the lawsuit we filed on behalf of El’Jai Devoureau.

[Netherlands]Dutch university gives transgender man new diplomaThe president of the executive board of the University of Amsterdam, Karel van der Toorn, presented transgender activist and alumnus Justus Eisfeld with a new diploma reflecting his correct gender April 6 in New York City.

[Malaysia]I would rather die than be a man, says singerCAUGHT for impersonating a woman, a popular singer in Kelantan said he would rather die than assume the role of a man, Harian Metro reported.Kajol, a transvestite celebrity who claimed to have recorded at least 25 albums in his 11-year singing career, was nabbed by anti-vice officers from the Kelantan Islamic Affairs Department while performing at an expo site in Tanah Merah on April 15.

[Canada]Drew Deveaux: ladies firstLast week Drew Deveaux, a trans-woman, won “heartthrob of the year” at the sixth annual Feminist Porn Awards, a Toronto event that celebrates woman-centric pornography from all over the world. As a performer, she takes the issues of sex and gender rights out of the bedroom and onto the screen. We spoke to her about whether there’s a place for feminist porn in the city once dubbed Toronto the Good. (Photo)

[USA]Queerty goes offline: Popular and provocative gay blog shuts down''Some five and a half years ago I launched my second blog, Queerty, after seeing an opening for a new type of LGBT site. It joined Jossip, and would [soon] be followed by two sister sites. That journey has come to an end: Queerty is closing.... Sadly, last week, in a scenario that began with some technical headaches, has ended with [353 Media] opting not to continue operating the site.''

[USA] [Commentary]Outrage over "pink-polish" ad shows lack of social progressA few weeks ago, J. Crew sent out an ad showing Jenna Lyons, the clothing franchise's president and creative director, laughing with her five-year-old son, Beckett, who was sporting pink nail polish on his toes. Yep, that's it. The juiciness of this story ends there. And yet, leave it to the media and the conservative pundits to blow this story up to epic proportions.PAINT YOUR NAILS PINK ON 04/22/11

[AZ, USA]Native American transgender woman lets identity shineSoaking in the attention from the throng of thousands on the parade route, Trudie Jackson beams and waves at the crowd. She yells “Happy Pride!” and shows off her deep crimson Native American dress and her hair tied back with white ribbons.She is surrounded by several other women, all wearing bright dresses. Together they create a kaleidoscope of colors so that the Indigenous Out and Proud entry, a group of Native American transgender women, is one of the brightest at this year’s Pride Parade. (Photo)

[FL, USA]Students defend male classmate - who wears heels to school!The school dress code sets a standard. So when a male student at Riverview High School decided to wear heels to school on Friday, an assistant principal asked him to take off his shoes."It really wasn't a dress code violation, but a matter of his own well-being, and if the attire causes disruption," explains Riverview principal Bob Heilmann.

[MD, USA]Transgender protection snuffedA law to grant transgendered individuals protection of gender identity and expression was sent back to the Rules Committee after the 2011 Maryland General Assembly.

[Turkey]Another trans murder in IzmirUpdate: The two transwomen who were shot with R.B. (M.K and Y.E,) died later at a hospital. 3 deaths in one day.

[Nepal/UK]After Mumbai dabbawallahs, Nepal's hijras bless British royal weddingSix years after Mumbai's famed dabbawallahs - who meticulously supply lunch-boxes to lakhs of office-goers - offered wedding gifts to Prince Charles and his second wife Camilla Parker Bowles, another enterprising community from a neighbouring nation has made a novel gesture for a second British royal wedding.

[Malaysia] [Letters to the Editor]He ain't heavy, he's my brotherMY younger brother is a transsexual and his life has become so torturous that I cry with him all the time.Even our parents have disowned him and he lives with me.Our parents, being in a cushy position in society, see him as a liability to both their jobs and the titles they hold. They were so ashamed of my brother that they dumped him in my aunt’s home at age 14.He is now 21.

[Australia]Kathy was born aged 66, ten years agoFrank Ernest Noble was born in London in 1934. In 1980, he moved to Australia. Then, in 2001, at the age of sixty-six, he checked into a hospital on the Gold Coast.When he walked out, he was a she. Now Kathy Anne Noble has written her (and Frank's) life story, "Two Lives - A Transsexual's story and the fight for recognition".

[USA] Senate sees ENDA againThough some believe there is little chance that it will pass, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) has been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate.

[USA] [Commentary] Gender stereotypes paint pink problemsA recent article in the New York Times, “In Praise of Pink Polish” by Lisa Belkin, opens up a new discussion on gender identity and what actions and behaviors are socially acceptable for a boy or girl. Belkin highlights a recent J. Crew ad in which the fashion company’s president and executive creative director Jenna Lyons poses with her 5-year old son who is shown rocking pink toenail polish.[Commentary] Just let the kid paint his toenails

[USA] [Commentary] Wharton Widow, Nikki Araguz, told to leave Sen Williams' OfficeA short video clip of Warton widow Nikki Araguz and Human Rights Campaign Board Member Megan Stabler talking with a staffer for Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands) has been released on YouTube. The video is below. Mrs. Araguz is the widow of Warton, TX volunteer firefighter Thomas Araguz, killed in the line of duty. Capt. Araguz's ex-wife Heather Delgado who claims that she, the woman Capt. Araguz choose to divorce, should receive the widow's benefits from his insurance, instead of Mrs. Araguz, the woman Capt. Araguz chose to marry.

[GA, USA] [Video]Georgia transgender woman speaks out on discriminationA new video is out from In the Life Media featuring two transgender woman — Ja'briel from Hinesville, Ga., located just more than four hours south of Atlanta near Savannah, and Michelle, who is from Los Angeles — speaking out about the discrimination they face.

[MD, USA] [Commentary] Maryland Trans Nondiscrimination Bill is Anti-Family? What?!Maryland senate president Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, a Democrat, was shown to have a puzzling and rather ignorant view of Maryland's failed Gender Identity Anti-discrimination Act this week when it emerged he called the bill "anti-family" during a television interview that aired April 8. He also said that he knew senators who wouldn't employ "people with male sexual organs who wear a dress to serve as receptionists."

[TX, USA] Unconfirmed reports indicate Sen. Royce West plans to vote in favor of trans marriage banKelvin Bass, a spokesman for Sen. West, returned my call regarding SB 723. According to Bass: “The Senator was not aware of this bill until reading the Dallas Voice article and had not yet formed an opinion but he will not be supporting the bill.” Although West’s office says he plans to vote against the bill, advocates are still urging people to contact other Democrats in the Senate and ask them to vote against the bill. Again, if no Democrats support the bill, it will die. Contact info for Senate Democrats can be found here.